Hello everyone!

The hottest month of the year might have gone by but the agony still remains for people with naturally oily skin especially in a hot and humid country like Singapore. Our dewy makeup turns into a greasy mess within a short span of time as our complexion vigorously produces a surplus of oil enough to fry an egg. It’s surely impossible to stay matte without the help of blotting papers to soak up the shine but with so many choices available, looking for the best one for your skin at the right price can be arduous and time-consuming. Hence, to help you with your selection, I would like to bring your attention to the newest kind of blotting papers in town by Palladio 🙂

These rice papers, like your regular blotting papers, are the quick fix for removing excessive oil on the face when outdoors. Housed in a handy little cardboard dispenser packet that fits into the smallest purse or pocket, each of these 40 on-the-go rice paper tissues pulls easily from the box despite their stiffer texture. The pieces don’t stick to one another so you won’t pull out more than what you need. Measuring twice the size of the packaging, they are big enough to dab the entire face so you would only need one piece at a time!

They are made from natural rice to provide great oil-absorbing functions and can actually do more than the usual job of blotting sheets. Each side of every piece has its own purpose – the matte side blots away excess oil while the powdered side provides occasional touch-ups. You can choose from three Asian-friendly shades – in Translucent, Natural or Warm Beige – to match your skin tone or foundation.

With a flap that locks easily into the slot on the side of the box, there is just nothing to dislike about the packaging. The blotting papers can also be simply retrieved without having to yank the cover open (and potentially damaging it). Furthermore, for the price of just S$6.90, it’s easily one of the cheapest high-quality blotting papers around in Singapore and maybe everywhere else.

Perhaps incorporating a reflective material on the inside cover would be ideal for people who want to check themselves while touching up their makeup with the powdered side of the rice paper.

The matte side reveals a yellowish and grainy and seemingly coarser texture akin to that of recycled paper but feels fairly soft and gentle on the skin. At times, I would use this side to prep my skin before applying makeup so as to prevent the makeup from becoming cakey. It also does wonders in ensuring that the skin stays shine-free for hours. When outdoors, using this removes any sign of oiliness on my T-zone with minimal interference with my makeup. Occasionally, it does take off a little of my foundation especially when I had forgotten to blot my skin for a long time, causing it to be sticky. But that slight patchiness can be easily fixed with…

..the powdered side! The rice powder is hardly noticeable. Yet, it gives a very natural and smooth finish to the skin and compensates for any uneven makeup caused in the process of blotting. Although the sole purpose of the powdered side is to touch up your makeup, it also does a reasonably good job in absorbing excess facial oil at the same time. Hence, if you’re on a tight schedule, you can kill two birds with one stone by using only the powdered side of the rice paper.

My natural skin tone leans slightly towards Warm Beige but I can afford to go one shade lighter with makeup on. I’m not sure why there aren’t shades catered to darker skins because obviously the ones available are way too light. Perhaps Palladio can consider having a more diverse range of shades now that they have entered the Asian markets.

One downside of these unique blotting papers is probably the rigidity of material which kinda impedes its malleability, so it tends to miss the oily spots around the inner corners of the nose.

Like traditional Japanese calligraphy papers, these rice papers are strong and highly absorbent – they do not tear or rupture easily upon contact with a ridiculous amount of oil no matter how many times you run over your face with them.

I used to think that blotting papers are a waste of money because facial tissue papers could do a similar job but these dual-function rice papers are a game changer. I make sure I slip a packet of these into my handphone pouch every time before I leave the house. If you’re in doubt, just give it a try. I mean, it’s only S$6.90! How much damage would it do to your wallet? 😉

Thanks for reading, lovelies!

PALLADIO Rice Paper IS NOW AVAILABLE AT ALL LOCAL GUARDIAN OUTLETS FOR S$6.90 EACH. It is also available on Palladio US website, Ulta and Paula’s Choice for US$4. FOR UPDATES ON UPCOMING local EVENTS, PLEASE VISIT PALLADIO BEAUTY SINGAPORE ON FACEBOOK.

DISCLAIMER: ALL PRODUCTS FEATURED ARE PRESS SAMPLES BUT OPINIONS, AS ALWAYS, ARE MY OWN.